Koei Tecmo has officially introduced Venus Vacation Prism – Dead or Alive Xtreme, a fresh romance adventure game that showcases several heroines featured in the original free-to-play title, Venus Vacation. The announcement of this new entry strongly indicates the direction Koei Tecmo intends to pursue within the Dead or Alive franchise.
Initially hinting at the announcement through its Japanese Twitter account with a reference to the “New Venus Vacation Project,” Koei Tecmo ultimately decided to retain the Dead or Alive Xtreme moniker in the game’s subtitle. This shift underscores Venus Vacation’s newfound prominence, suggesting it will be the focal point for Koei Tecmo moving forward.
In recent years, the noticeable shift in Koei Tecmo’s focus from the traditional fighting games to the Xtreme series has been apparent. For instance, while Dead or Alive 5, released in 2012, received extensive support including numerous DLC packs and regular updates, its sequel fell short of the company’s projections.
Koei Tecmo had high hopes for Dead or Alive 6, hoping it would feature prominently in major esports tournaments like EVO. Its absence from the EVO 2019 game lineup marked a significant point of disappointment, leading the company to limit support for the title by 2020 after only a year.
In contrast, the free-to-play spin-off, Venus Vacation, remains actively maintained and continues to add new characters even into 2024. Following the debut of Yukino in 2023, additional original characters named Shizuku, Reika, and Meg have also been introduced.
Additionally, Koei Tecmo has confirmed that Venus Vacation Prism will be released on PC Steam with English subtitles included. However, similar to the original Venus Vacation, it is likely that the game will be restricted to specific regions within Southeast and East Asia, including Japan. The company has also launched an English-language official site for the game, which can be found on its Taiwanese web portal, rather than on American or European pages.
Most of the key personnel from the earlier days of Koei Tecmo and Team Ninja are no longer with the company. Notable departures include Tomonobu Itagaki, Hiroaki Matsui, and Katsunori Ehara. Additionally, Yohei Shimbori, who was in charge of Dead or Alive 6, left Koei Tecmo in 2021.
The existing structure of Team Ninja does not appear to promote the development of a new fighting installment in the Dead or Alive series. The main team led by Fumihiko Yasuda has shifted its focus towards action games like Nioh, Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty, and Rise of the Ronin, and has also been approached for a new Ninja Gaiden title. Concurrently, Yasunori Sakuda’s team oversees not only the Venus Vacation series but also the free-to-play title Atelier Resleriana: Forgotten Alchemy as well as Polar Night Liberator.
There remains a faint possibility for a new fighting game due to Yosuke Hayashi’s continued presence in the company as one of the few remaining veterans of Team Ninja. However, he has recently been promoted to vice president of Koei Tecmo Games, with his focus now primarily on significant crossover titles like Hyrule Warriors and Fire Emblem Warriors.
Convincing Yosuke Hayashi, Team Ninja, and Koei Tecmo to explore a new entry in the Dead or Alive fighting series after the lackluster response to its sixth installment would require considerable effort. The spotlight has shifted predominantly to the Xtreme spin-off series—now portrayed through Venus Vacation—indicating that the company’s emphasis will likely remain on this franchise in the near future.
Venus Vacation Prism – Dead or Alive Xtreme is slated for release on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, and PC in early 2025.
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